For quick and easy reference, the food crops listed in Section 2 are all described in
“Barley”, then “Planting conditions / Soil”:
Common English and scientific (“botanical” or “Latin”) name.
Local names, synonyms and names, where known, in French, German, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian, etc.
Introductory comments, on plant description, origins, historical background,
Planting conditions, subdivided as appropriate into subheadings:
propagation, soil, seed rate, germination, seed spacing, depth, inoculation,
rotation, intercropping and weeding.
Growth conditions, subdivided into subheadings:
day length, growth period, temperature, rainfall, altitude, pests and diseases.
Yield. Low, average and high yield expectancy. Lowest & highest national
averages.
Utilisation. The main uses for the plant, not only as food but also as a source of
revenue, including its by-products, either on the farm, for sale (cash crop) or in
industry.
Limitations. Reasons for the crop being suitable to grow only in certain
conditions, and any inherent dangers in the plant, seed or by-products.
*
2A. CEREALS
Of all the agricultural crops, cereals are generally considered to be the most
important. They are grown on about 75% of the world’s cultivated area, and directly
supply about two thirds of the energy and half the protein needs of the world as well
as indirectly supplying large amounts of food when converted into meat, milk, eggs
and so on.
The increasing global demand for certain cereals such as maize to produce meat
and animal products may lead to a rapidly increasing demand for maize, possibly
overtaking demand for rice and wheat in the next two decades. In the late 1990s the
tonnage of maize and rice produced (but not the acreage) began to consistently
exceed the tonnage of wheat produced for the first time in many thousands of years,
and it is clear that wheat is slowly losing its place as the world s most popular cereal.
• • • • • • • •
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the same way, in the same order. For example, if you want to know about the soil
requirements for barley, go to
GROWING FOOD – THE FOOD PRODUCTION HANDBOOK
relevance as a major food crop or as a potential food crop, botanical classifica-
tion/taxonomy, etc.
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